


When The Shoe Drops

by DirtyAim



Category: Rumbelle - Fandom, ouat
Genre: F/M, Lawyers, cop drama-esque, smut in the middle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 14:33:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4525704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtyAim/pseuds/DirtyAim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prosecuting Attorney Belle French must go up against the infamous Defense Attorney Mr. Gold, AKA The Deal Maker in a very important case. Against him, no one wins. Cross him, and the crocodile bites. Can a young and fresh attorney like Belle get through this unscathed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Shoe Drops

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at titles. For tumblrs Rumbelle Secret Santa in July. May or may not continue, not sure.

~(*)~

 

“You better start planning your funeral!”

  
Belle French, prosecuting attorney, raised an eyebrow at her assistant Ruby’s dramatic statement.

  
“Well your gonna have to find a new job, probably in another country anyways!” She continued, dropping some files on Belle’s desk.

  
“Mmmm, is that so? Do you think they will have tea? I would hate to have to move to somewhere completely barbaric.” Belle replied with a straight face.

  
Ruby huffed at her boss’s failure to react appropriately and gestured at the documents in front of her. “The informant case? With Smee Rogers? He’s got The Deal Maker defending him! If you go up against him, the least that will happen is that you will lose. But If you cross him- which knowing you it would be inevitable- Belle, people have disappeared after going against that man in court!

  
Belle sat back in her chair and regarded her colleagues’ worried face.

  
“I am aware that Mr. Gold is going to be the defending attorney in this case. It does not change my decision to prosecute Mr. Rogers.”

  
Ruby blanched. “What? You already know and you’re still going to go up against that guy? Are you nuts?!”

 

“Not since my last evaluation with Dr. Hopper, but thank you for the concern Ruby.”

  
Ruby huffed once more. “Belle, be serious! Don’t you know what they say about him? All of the bad things that seem to happen whenever he gets involved? I have done some digging and believe me, that guy makes mud look clean.”

  
Belle sighed and leaned forward to grasp her friends’ hand. Despite her dramatic nature, Belle knew that she was genuinely concerned for her welfare-and that her concerns were not entirely unfounded.

  
“Believe me Ruby; I know that no one has a better nose for digging up information the way you do. But trust me when I say that I am well informed. I know who I am going up against. But that does not mean that I will just let him win. Mr. Rogers has done some very bad things, and needs to be held accountable for them. I will not let this go, no matter who he has defending him.”

 

  
Ruby looked at Belle slightly awestruck. “Wow. You are either incredibly brave, or really stupid.”

  
Belle shook her head and patted her friend on the shoulder. “Best not think too much on it. Now shoo, I need that Brief typed up and ready to go.”

  
Ruby rose to leave. “Yes ma’am.” She paused at Belle’s door. “By the way, were you also aware that you got Judge Mills presiding?”

  
The prosecutors face visibly soured. “That, I didn’t know.”

  
“Yeah well, Good Luck.” Ruby said sympathetically.

  
“Yeah.” Belle replied absently as she stared at her handbag.

  
A few hours later Belle French gave herself one last once over in her office mirror before releasing a pent up sigh.

  
“You can do this.” She said to her reflection. With one last nod she gathered her things and hurried out of her office-  
-and right into Defense Attorney Mr. Gold. Even though she had been mentally preparing herself to go against this man, Belle’s heart still missed a beat when she realized who it was that she had ran into.

  
“Oh! I am so sorry! I should take better care to watch where I am going.” She apologized.

  
Gold raised an eyebrow at Belle before smiling politely. “That’s quite alright Ms. French, it happens to the best of us. I hope you can regain your focus enough for the courtroom however. You’ll need it. ” And with a parting smirk he walked off, cane in hand.

  
“Bastard.” Belle muttered under her breath. Quickly she dashed back inside her office, eyeing the handbag that sat on her desk. “I must be crazy.” She muttered before closing the door behind her.

  
Belle rushed through the doors with difficulty, considering she was now wearing a set of six inch red stiletto heels. She had barely a second to spare and the Judge had her eye on her.

  
“Will both counsels approach the bench?” The judge commanded. Gold rose from his seat and Belle followed to the Judges podium.

  
“Glad you could join us Ms. French. I sincerely hope you do not have any further intentions of making a mockery of my courtroom today?” Regina Mills glared imperiously down at her.

  
Belle resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the other woman. Judge Mills was always referred to as the “Evil Queen” behind her back with her love of power and snobby demeanor.

  
“My apologies your Honor. It won’t happen again.” Belle answered.

  
“See that it doesn’t. And Gold, let’s keep the mischief to a minimum today.mm? I am not in the mood for another mental breakdown in court like last time.

  
Gold placed a hand over his heart, his face the picture of concern.

  
“I can assure you your Honor, I am only here to represent my client to the best of my ability. I am sure that Ms. French is capable enough to handle herself in this courtroom.”

  
Gold turned to rake a sardonic eye over Belle but stiffened when he seemed to catch full sight of her.

  
“Why does that not reassure me?” Regina asked sarcastically. “I mean it Gold, no nasty tricks today. I want everything above board in my court room or else!”

  
“I am sure that Mr. Gold will have no need to do anything underhanded.” Belle interjected. “He is a reputable attorney after all.”

  
But Gold didn’t seem to be paying attention. His eyes were a bit unfocused as he muttered. “Yes, of course. No tricks.” His eyes came up to meet Belle’s for just a moment, but she was sure that he was looking right through her.

 

“All right, let’s get this over with. Leroy!”

  
A short, grumpy looking man in a guard’s uniform stepped forward and said in a loud gruff voice. “All right everyone court is now in session! The Honorable Judge Mills Presiding.”

 

~(*)~

 

Today was an interesting day.

  
Archibald Hopper was watching a rather fascinating scene play out before him. Being a psychologist regularly used by the justice system gave him a rather in-depth view of the human condition. Depravities, frailty, strength, even hope-these things were all found in the most unlikely of places and Archie had seen them all. This tended to make life tedious at times.

  
But today had thrown a curve because the districts' most infamous DA was acting strangely, and Archie was curious as to why. The differences were subtle, but Archie was a people watcher by nature, and had made it his profession to be able to read others. Every time Gold would go in to object the prosecuting attorney she would turn, several inches taller because of her rather tall red heels, and just look at him expectantly-

  
-and Gold would hesitate

.  
This would give Ms. French the opening she needed to go around Gold and further give the defendant a chance to incriminate himself. Because without Gold’s constant guidance, that was exactly what he was doing. Mr. Rogers had already let slip that he would sometimes take payments from people in exchange for info on the street, let alone being in the pocket of the local mob who wanted to keep a rat with an ear out. If Rogers was found guilty of giving out confidential case information to the Mob, then this would be a significant win and the case would become much larger.

 

And the Crocodile was losing. Something that just simply did not happen.

  
Belle French was in her stride, strongly calling out points of objection around Gold’s usual style of deflection. Like a hound caught on rabbit she sank her teeth in and refused to let go. She was unperturbed when Gold used his favorite tricks, calling out obscure bits of law to use as roadblocks to try and delay her, or even stay the trial itself. Finally it became apparent that the prosecution actually had enough evidence to secure a conviction and he just seemed to, deflate.

  
As the prosecution team gave a round of celebration at the jury’s guilty verdict, Archie couldn't help a sense of foreboding. It was just a low level thug, but this was a step to finding the much bigger monsters. And he had to wonder if that really was the smart thing to do. Because things with bigger teeth always have a nastier bite.

It was just a question of who had the bigger stomach.

~(*)~

 

Belle sighed deeply as she set her keys and briefcase on her entryway table. She lived alone and the house was dark and silent. It had been an exhausting day in court, but for once justice had won. But right now Belle honestly wanted nothing more than to curl up with a good book and go to bed.

  
Bending down, she went to undo the straps to her red heels when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

  
“Now _that_ , Dearie, was a dirty trick.”

  
Belle froze.

  
Gold was in her apartment, apparently sitting in the dark waiting for her after his loss in the courtroom today.

  
He was angry with her.

  
Shit.

  
Belle straightened slowly and waited for her eyes to adjust before walking a few cautious steps towards her foyer.

  
Reclining in her favorite chaise lounge, Gold sat with his hands steepled beneath his chin. Even in the dark his eyes glittered with a combination of mischief and malice.

  
This was going to be very, very difficult.

  
What was that old saying? The best defense was a good offense? “What are you doing here?” She asked firmly.

  
Gold smiled sardonically. “Why, to congratulate the up and coming DA on her unlikely win over the big bad Crocodile, of course.” His voice was like stroking a finger along a sensitive nerve. Belle had to repress the shiver that wanted to crawl up her spine. He would see the weakness, especially in the dark. Instead, she went back on the offensive.

  
“Unlikely? Smee was guilty as sin and we had the evidence to prove it! For once your bag of tricks wasn’t enough to keep a bad man from getting what he deserved!” She said coldly.

  
“My bag of tricks? Ahh, I would much rather talk about your tricks, especially the one you pulled when you walked into the courtroom today. I have to hand it to you Miss French, I miss-judged you! This does not happen often, I assure you. I didn’t think you capable of such capriciousness…Well Done. You are on your way to being on the level with the real players. You still have a ways to go of course, but being able to pull one over on me is quite the accomplishment.”  
Belle’s lips turned down at the accusation and its implications.

  
“Don’t call me Miss French when were alone together Rumple, I really don’t care for it. It’s bad enough that I have to hear that in the courtroom! And I didn’t trick you, I-"

  
Like a shot Rumplestiltskin was on his feet and in her space. “Liar!” He hissed. He did not touch her-Belle knew that he wouldn’t- but the anger and venom in his voice hurt her nonetheless.

  
“I’m telling you the truth, I-"

  
He cut her off. “The truth is that you sasached into that courtroom today wearing the very embodiment of our relationship in order to distract me enough to win your precious case… and it worked. It is as much my mistake as anything, for letting such a pretty young thing turn my head.” He finished bitterly.

/rThat comment stung, but she wouldn’t indulge it. Things were falling apart very quickly. “No! It wasn’t like that Rumple! Just let me explain!” She argued  
Rumple waived her off. “I think not Dearie.”

  
Panicked, Belle reached for his hand and grasped it between her own. He wasn’t letting her explain, he was just going to leave and she knew if he did that he wouldn’t come back. Everything would end right here because she had made a poor choice and he wouldn’t listen!

  
Of course Rumplestiltskin tried to snatch his hand away at the first contact. “What are you doing?” He snarled.

  
Firmly, she brought his hand up to her chest and cradled it between both of hers, catching his eyes and holding them. Rubbing soothing circles there, she waited until the rigidness left his limb. Slowly the anger in his eyes bled into confusion, and finally curiosity; and that is when Belle made her move.

  
Slowly, she positioned his hand gently at the collar of her neck, gently resting his fingers at its base. To the ignorant bystander, it would look like she was offering her throat, showing submission. But Belle French was anything but submissive and Rumplestiltskin’s eyes widened when he recognized the gesture for what it was- lie detection.

  
“Let me speak in my defense.” Belle asked simply. For a painful moment Rumplestiltskin dropped his eyes and did not speak. Belle swallowed the lump in her throat, waiting for his answer.

 

“Proceed.” He whispered hoarsely.

  
Relieved, she struggled not to rush. “I didn’t wear the shoes today to try and trick you into anything. I honestly didn’t think it would affect you enough to throw you off; you’re too much the consummate professional. I wore them to try and tell you that even though I had to go against you in court today, for the first time of what will probably be many occasions, I wanted to send you a message that, I was still with you Rumple. I love you.”

  
Rumples fingers twitched against her skin, but Belle never worried for her safety. She knew that he loved her, even though he had never said it. No, the problem was never love, it was trust. It always had been.

  
“If this was your way of telling me that you wanted me, you could have done so in person rather that wearing the shoes I gave you in a litigation in which we are essentially enemies.” Rumple stated roughly.

  
Belle sighed. “How was I supposed to do that? You forbade me from ever calling you, from ever even contacting you in case your enemies find out about us! Every meeting, every moment we have had together has been on your terms, your say Rumple. I am not your enemy, but for as long as you continue to work for those people, I will do what I can to do what is right! That is what I did today. I did my best to use the law to put a man who had done horrible things with no remorse behind bars! Not to throw something private and precious in your face. I would never, NEVER, do that Rumple. I swear!”

  
She was struggling not to cry now. She knew he would see it has another ploy, a feminine wile to use against him. He was so hardwired to be suspicious and distrustful-to always be one step ahead of the game- that it was absolutely unimaginable to him that anyone could want the man he was. But damnit, she was trying to offer her heart to him, to take care of him in return!

 

Rumple began to shake his head. “No. Maybe not now, but someday, you will. Who could blame you? I am the Croc-”

  
Now it was her turn to interrupt him. Unwilling to let him complete that vile nickname for himself, Belle quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  
He stood rigid and unmoving against her. A few moments of this and Belle became desperate, softening her mouth against his and nipping at his top lip until his mouth opened, finally allowing her to fully seduce him with her own.

  
Belle poured everything she had into her body language, using everything she could to get the message through his thick skull. She wanted him and she refused to let his own Darkness separate them. She was determined to pull him back, to save him even if it was from himself. So she drove her hands into his hair, pressed the entire line of her soft body against his hardness and let every sigh she felt grace his lips.

  
With a groan that seemed to be torn from within, Rumple finally brought his arms up to wrap around her like bands of steel. His fingers clawed at her back to find the zipper that ran the length of her dress. In the meantime his mouth had taken dominance and turned her sensual kisses into a blazing fire.

  
It was happening so fast, but Belle didn’t seem to have any power over he own will to stop it. Her clothes ended up in a heap upon the floor and her undergarments quickly followed. Fingers clawed at buttons and zippers all the while their mouths continued to clash together.

  
It was a violent meeting of suppressed passions mixed with fear, and Belle didn’t want any fear between them.

  
“Wait! Wait Rumple!”

  
Immediately he stopped, stepping back from her with a stricken face. Belle knew that he thought she was rejecting him, when what she really wanted to do was reinforce the opposite.

 

She placed a gentle finger against his lips. “Ssssh. Sit on the couch, please.” She asked gently.

  
Rumples eyes filled with questions, but he obeyed, moving to sit upon her chaise. He was completely naked, and Belle took only a moment to appreciate his form before she moved to straddle him.

  
Rumples hands automatically moved to her hips, and Belle covered them with her own. “I want you to keep these here, don’t move them please. Trust me?”

 

“Yes, he answered.”

  
Smiling in genuine happiness at his compliance, Belle leaned forward to place a soft kiss against his lips.”

  
“Close your eyes love.” She asked. His eyes fluttered shut and she rewarded him with soft butterfly kisses against both lids.

  
“I know you don’t think I could ever possibly love you Rumple. You feel as though you have done too many bad things while you have been forced to work for those people. I know that you haven’t told me everything. But what I want you to understand is that I am not blind. I am not naïve enough to say that it doesn’t matter, because it does. I want you to understand that I will be here for you regardless, with eyes open. I want to help you Rumple, because I know the man you can be, the man you truly are!”

  
Slowly she kissed her way down his neck until she was placed just over his heart. His chest was rising and falling with each breath.

  
“I want to protect the good that is in here.” She whispered. She gave him one kiss over his heart before rising up and positioning her core against his shaft. He had been hard for some time and the feel of her sex against him caused him to twitch.

  
“I’m not going to let your insecurities get in our way Rumplestiltskin. I love you, and I know that you love me.”

  
She punctuated this by rubbing herself against him, making sure to hit her clit on each pass. Rumples’ breathing was quickly becoming ragged, but he held still and let her take over.

  
“I need you to trust that, to trust in us. Please?” She asked.

  
Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes and in their depths Belle and never seen such raw aching pain, or love.

  
“I am so sorry Belle!” He said. “I swear, I –"

  
“Ssshhh” She soothed, giving in to the temptation of his mouth. “I just want you with me. That’s all I have ever wanted.”

  
“Yes” He agreed fervently before bringing his mouth to one of her breasts. Belle moaned at the delightful sensation of his warm tongue on her flesh. Unwilling to wait any longer, Belle shifted her hips until the head of his shaft dipped into her opening.

  
Rumple groaned around her flesh as he shunted his hips, driving up into her body. The feeling was so easy to describe. Physically, it was that she could now feel him inside of her. But it was more than that. Being able to hold him fast within herself, to be able to move above him and see the effect she had on his face, to hear her name on his lips…

  
It was indescribable.

  
And so they danced this way, his hand moving between their bodies to bring her the most pleasure possible, her mouth chanting his name against his ear, until it came close to the end.

  
Then Rumplestiltskin held fast to her hips, halting her pace to a slow torturous glide before impeding her motion all together. Immediately Belle tried to raise herself so that she could regain the delicious sensation that had her so close to the edge, but when she tried to move Rumples grip just tightened. Insensate and frustrated beyond belief, Belle fell forward to try and change the angle, to gain even small bit of friction. Her sex was throbbing mercilessly, crying out that she stoke the fires and burn in ecstasy- but Rumple would not allow her to move.

  
Belles’ breathing was shallow and quick. It felt as though she was not really receiving oxygen with every intake, that she was only performing a pantomime. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think beyond the pain, the sheer wanting! Why wouldn’t he move? Why was he killing her like this? Because as dramatic as it sounded she was sure she might die if he didn’t finish what he started!

  
“Rumple! Please, oh god Please Rumple! Please, Please I can’t, I need…Oh god I need you please-"

  
“Trust me.” His voice was sin on her sensitive skin. A shudder wracked her entire body. Trust him? Of course she did, but what did he mean?”

  
“Hold still darling,” His breathing too was labored and hot gusts of air caressed the shell of her ear repeatedly. “I promise you I will take care of you. But now you must trust me darling. Hold still and breathe.”

  
Belle was sure there was no possible way she could comply without bursting into flames! But she did as he bade, and slowly, so fucking slowly, the fire began to ease. The throbbing diminished and their breathing began to even out. Resting her forehead against Rumples chest, Belle felt a little bit of sanity return to her as her need for orgasm diminished.

  
This is when Rumple grabbed her hips and lifted her up only to sheath her firmly around him once more.

  
The shock of pleasure that sang through her nerves had her crying out in surprise, throwing her head back and grasping at his shoulders for purchase. “Aaah!”

  
She needed something to anchor herself as the pleasure flared with violence. Somewhere in the background, beyond the onslaught of sensation as he set a new forceful pace, she could hear her lover moaning his own pleasure below her. And she was racing, burning inside out with the pleasure, she was falling, she was-  
He slowed once more; breathing ragged, and firmly held her against him. Once again her sex was throbbing with the beginning stages of orgasm and she knew that if she could shift even the tiniest bit it would be enough to finally send her over the edge. His own sex throbbed deliciously inside her, but it was not enough, and by the weight of his grip she already knew he would not budge.

  
“Trust me.”

  
Closing her eyes with a moan she leaned up to place a half-hazard kiss on her lover’s lips to distract herself. Rumplestiltskin received her gratefully, releasing a sigh of his own. Together they labored to let their ardor cool, to prolong the pleasure.

  
The wait was shorter, and this time Rumplestiltskin built up his tempo in a few strokes until he was entering her in strong steady movements without pause. When the pleasure seemed to spread throughout her entire body and Belle knew she would not survive it if he stopped…but surely she would burn from the inside out if he finished her!

  
Just as her sex began to pulse in earnest Rumple let out something akin to a roar and sat up so that he was on his haunches with her legs still wrapped around his waist. The pillows behind her kept her body level with his so that he continued to penetrate her as deeply as possible. The girth of his organ stretched her deliciously and Belle could feel an echoing pleasure as his balls began to slap against her perineum.

  
“Oh, OH, OH FUCK! AAAH, AAH, RUMPLE!!!!!!”

  
“Come on love.” He said raggedly. Stretched out on top of her, hands curved under shoulders and every possible inch of her body covered with his own as he drove relentlessly inside of her. “Give it to me! Give it to me Love!”

  
And she did.

  
Body bowing under his weight, Belle lost all sense of anything outside of the raw pleasure clenching through her. If she had any control she might have shied away from the intensity of it, but Gold’s position gave her no chance to move as he slammed into her body at an alarming pace. Belle screamed as her body clenched around him fiercely, milking his own pleasure with each wave.

  
“Yes, darling, that’s it! Oh fuck Belle!” He groaned as he felt himself coil impossibly tight before releasing in a rush of fire and ecstasy.

  
It seemed to stretch for an eternity, but then, the moment was over. They lay panting together, a mess of tangled sweaty limbs.

  
Belle was the first to speak. “Rumple?” She asked quietly. There was a hint to her voice, a small tenor of fear.

  
Rumplestiltskin knew what she was asking without her having to voice it.

 

“Aye Dear One.” He answered tenderly, wrapping his arms around her tighter. “I love you too.”

  
~(*)~

“Shoes Rumple? Isn’t that a little odd?”

  
Rumple chuckled a little before kissing her gently. “Perhaps. But I would like to give you something to think of me. After seeing your closet I know that you have a penchant for shoes beyond just needing to increase your stature.”

  
Belle ducked her head in embarrassment. “Guilty.”

  
Rumples fondness only increased when watching her like this, but his expression soon grew solemn. “There is another reason. I cannot give you anything that would be obvious, that would raise suspicion for either of us. You know what my reputation is, the people that I work for. Belle, there are people, people that I have been working for years to bring down from the inside. Their pockets are deep and their influence absolute. The law does not work on them, it works for them. The only way to make them pay is to beat them at their own game, and unfortunately it is a slow, delicate process. But I will bring them down, I promise you that.”

  
“For the death of your son?” Belle asked hesitantly.

  
Rumple tried to hide his surprise at her knowledge. Hardly anyone at the firm even knew that he had once had a son, let alone that he had been murdered in a move against Rumplestiltskin’s involvement with the mob. But he shouldn’t be surprised. Belle was as intelligent as she was beautiful, and could always see the things others missed.

  
“Yes.” He answered quietly. “But in the meantime, I cannot let anyone know about us. That means no jewelry, no phone calls, and no dates, nothing that could mark this as an actual relationship. So until then, its shoes. I- I would understand if you do not wish to endure such an arrangement Belle.”

  
Belle cocked her head to the side for a moment; carefully considering the information she had just been given. After a serious thought, her bow lips curved into a mischievous smirk as she rose to her feet and began to disrobe everything but the gorgeous set of red heels that Rumplestiltskin had bought her that day.

  
Stealing the very breath from his body, she had been a vision as she crawled on top of him. She didn’t say word as she rode his body into oblivion, all the while wearing his gift on her feet.

  
There was another meaning to that particular choice in gift of course, one that she wouldn’t possibly guess at. He belonged at her feet, under her heel. She was the closest thing to purity next to his black soul, and he felt he could be the very ground she walked on if she just continued to shine on him, to share her light.  
He loved her. And therefore she had the power to hurt him more than anything else in this world.

  
Gold sighed at his melancholy thoughts. He had so much to lose now; something he never thought would be possible again after the death of his son.It was any wonder he was ruminating when left in this dark and dreary weather, waiting for his contact to show. Punctuality seemed to be in short supply these days.

Just then a tall athletic blond man could be seen jogging up the block through broken down street lamps until he finally reached the safety of Gold’s umbrella.

  
“I suppose your mother either never taught you to tell time or you just feel it’s acceptable to waste mine.” Gold said bitingly.

  
Detective David Nolan shook the water from his eyes before shooting Gold a sarcastic eye. “I got held up. Having a newborn at home is really helpful when it comes to midnight rendezvous in a back alley on a rainy night. By the way, could you have picked any more of a cliché setting? I feel as though I should be speaking with a Brooklyn accent or something.”

  
“I doubt your IQ could take such a hit Mr. Nolan. Now is it done, or not?”

  
David sighed in frustration. “Yes, it’s done. I had Mr. Rogers placed with a Mr. Jacques Lumiere once he reaches the penitentiary. The placement will look like it’s the only one available since all of the other cell mates are full.”

  
Gold nodded in satisfaction. “Well done. Just make sure Mr. Smee doesn’t hurt himself along the way, eh?”

  
“Sure. But tell me, how were you able to get a court order from Judge Mills of all people.”

  
Gold was silent for a moment before he decided to answer. “A little known fact is that Regina Mills was born Regina Miller before she had her name legally changed. I should know, I’m the one who facilitated it. She is Cora Millers biological daughter. From an early age Cora groomed Regina to partake in the family business, expecting her to one day take over. Those plans were ruined by Cora’s own hand when she decided to kill Regina’s lover after discovering the pair on their way to elope. I suppose they had plans to live a normal life in the burbs or the countryside or some drivel like that. But in any case, Cora’s decision drove a permanent wedge in between them. Regina separated herself from the family and became a court justice in this district specifically to be a thorn in Cora’s side. Due to a misplaced sense of motherly affection of some sort, Cora refuses to make a move on her own daughter, much to her adopted daughter Zelena’s ire.”

“My God. Won’t these people be upset with you that you let one of their informants incriminate himself and them? Let alone end up with a sentence.”

  
“Smee was a low level rat, not enough to ruffle their feathers. If he opens his mouth about them he will simply be dealt with as all vermin are. That’s why we are going to use Lumiere. He will get the information we need without Smee getting killed. ”

David shook his head. “You certainly hold a high regard for the people you work for.”

  
Rumplestiltskin gripped his cane to prevent him from beating the blonde idiots’ brains in. He was useful so it wouldn’t do to damage his pretty little face.

  
“I did not work for Mr. Rogers. I represented him on the behest of my employer. That was all. I do not work for you either, Mr. Nolan. You are merely a convenient tool to help me bring down The Millers. Nothing more.”

  
“I could refuse to help you.” David answered indignantly.

  
Rumplestiltskin smiled in the dark. “You could refuse. But you won’t. That overgrown conscience of yours won’t let you. I am giving you the opportunity to play the hero and bring down some very bad people. They will practically hand you a crown of gold in gratitude when I am through. But make no mistake.” Rumplestiltskin turned to the detective and all pretenses at civility was gone. “I will bring down Zelena and Cora Miller, with or without your cooperation. Just think about who you want on your side when it all comes crashing down. Because it will dearie, and I will be the one left standing, I promise you that.”

  
“How can you be so sure?” David asked.

  
“Because I have to be.” Rumplestiltskin answered quietly. With that he turned brusquely began walking to his car, leaving the confused detective standing in the rain.

  
Seating himself behind the wheel, Rumplestiltskin allowed himself one moment to feel the ever lurking fear that plagued him. Closing his eyes, he imagined what it would cost him if he lost. Because now, he had something to lose.

  
After the moment was over, he rebuilt his armor brick by brick, and when he opened his eyes they were full of determination and malice. A sinister grin spread over his face as he put his car in drive.

  
“The Crocodile is coming dearie. Tick Tock.”

~(*)~


End file.
